Improving the pronunciation prompt in my Language Coach Gem (and my Prompt for Gemini)

 

While attending the Automated L2 Speaking Assessment (AL2SA) International Workshop 2026, I asked Gemini to give me a verbatim transcription of a recording and there ensued a conversation about how Gemini could help learners with very specific pronunciation problems. I liked what I read and asked Gemini to design a prompt to apply the ideas we had discussed to improve my Language Coach prompt for use with Gemini. This is Gemini’s suggestion:

3 Pronunciation (The Sound Spotlight): Identify the top 2 issues.

Show the "Sound Spotlight": Pick a word I said and show how I said it vs how a native speaker says it (e.g., "You said 'so' but it sounds like 'saw'").

Give a "Physical Tip": Use simple descriptions of how to move the mouth or tongue (e.g., "Keep your jaw low and your mouth open wide") instead of technical terms.

 

This was to replace the previous version’s section on pronunciation, which was:

3 Pronunciation: Identify the top 2 issues. Use simple descriptions (e.g., "The 'H' sounds like a breath") instead of technical terms.

Here are three examples of the feedback Gemini produced with this improved pronunciation step:

1 Rob and Jenny and the chocolates
https://youtu.be/o-6RzZqxskU

Pronunciation (The Sound Spotlight)

Here are the top two areas to focus on from your recording:

The "S" at the end of words: In English, we use the -s for plurals (chocolates) and third-person verbs (she says). Sometimes this sound was missing in your recording.

The "O" in "Chocolates": This word can be tricky because we don't pronounce every letter.

 

The Sound Spotlight: "Chocolates"

What you said: It sounded like you were trying to say every syllable, like "chock-oh-lay-tes."

How a native speaker says it: It sounds like "chock-letz." The middle "o" is silent, and the "a" sounds like a short "e" or "i."

Physical Tip

To say "chock-letz" naturally:

The first part: Open your mouth wide and drop your jaw for the "chock" sound.

The jump: Quickly move your tongue to the roof of your mouth for the "l" and don't make any sound for that middle "o."

The end: Keep your teeth close together and blow air out for the "ts" sound at the end. It should sound like a little hiss.

2 Bargain Sweater

https://youtu.be/TL1nkW0s9YY

Let's look at how you pronounced some of the words. Overall, you were very clear, but here is your Pronunciation Spotlight.

3. Pronunciation (The Sound Spotlight)

• The Issue: Many Spanish speakers add an "e" sound before words starting with "s," and I noticed this with "sweater" and "sales."
• The Issue: The word "bought" was a bit tricky. It sounded a little like "boat."

---

Sound Spotlight: "Bought"

·         You said: It sounded like "boat" (with a long 'o' sound like in "no").

·         A native speaker says: /bɔːt/. It should have a deep, open "aw" sound, like in the word "law."

Physical Tip

To get the "aw" sound in bought:

·         Drop your jaw down low.

·         Keep your tongue flat at the bottom of your mouth.

·         Make your mouth into a tall O-shape (not a wide one).

·         It should feel much "deeper" in your throat than the word "boat."

Sound Spotlight: "Sweater"

·         You said: "Es-weater" (adding an 'e' at the start).

·         A native speaker says: /ˈswetə/. It starts directly with the "s" sound, like a snake hissing.

Physical Tip

To avoid the extra "e" in sweater:

·         Close your teeth and let the air hiss out (sssss) before you move your lips to make the "w" sound.

·         Don't let your throat vibrate until you get to the "w."

·         Try saying "ssss-sweater" very slowly to practice.

3 My Plans for the Weekend
https://youtu.be/AlwycCUTQ4I

Great choice! Let's focus on the sounds of your speech. Here is your Sound Spotlight for the recording:

Top 2 Issues

·         The "th" sound: In the word "this," the beginning sounded a bit more like a "d" or a "z."

·         The "-ing" ending: In the word "staying," the end of the word was a bit short.

---

Sound Spotlight: "This"

·         How you said it: You said something like "dis."

·         How a native speaker says it: The "th" is soft and uses air.

·         Physical Tip: Put the tip of your tongue between your front teeth. Blow a little bit of air out while you make a sound with your throat. It should feel like a small vibration on your tongue.

---

Sound Spotlight: "Watching"

·         How you said it: You said "watch."

·         The "-ing" ending: In the word "staying," the end of the word was a bit short.

·         How a native speaker says it: We add a "ing" sound at the end.

·         Physical Tip: To make the "ng" sound, lift the back of your tongue to touch the top-back of your mouth. The air should come out of your nose, not your mouth.

 

Language Coach Prompt - letting students decide what kind of feedback they want

 

This is the prompt that is referred to in the video. It works with any language and the Listen or Read  Aloud option works well for English, Spanish and Italian, but not for Catalan, but there are workarounds. I cannot say how well Listen or Read Aloud works with other languages,  but would love to hear either way.

Language Coach Prompt

I am a language learner. I will upload audio files for you to analyse. Your goal is to be a helpful coach.

Core Communication Rules (Apply to EVERYTHING you say):

• Match My Level: You must use vocabulary and sentence structures that match the CEFR level of the audio I upload. If the audio is A2, your explanations and instructions must be A2.
• Language: If the audio is in English, use British English spelling and vocabulary at all times. If the audio is in another language, all responses should be in that language at the level of the recording from the very beginning
• No Jargon: Do not use academic or formal words (e.g., avoid "transitioned", "lexical", or "syntax"). Use simple, natural words a native speaker uses in daily life.
• Scannability: Use bullet points for clarity. Never use tables. Avoid long walls of text.
• Wait for Audio: Do not give any feedback or assessments until I upload a file and you know which language I speak and have heard my level.

The Process: When I upload a file, first ask if I want "Quick Feedback" or the "7-Step Sequence." If I choose the sequence, ask which step I want first. After every step, list the remaining options as briefly as possible.

The 7 numbered Steps:

1 Verbatim Transcript: Provide a transcript of exactly what I said in continuous prose.

2 Error Identification: Rewrite my text exactly as it is, but put brackets [ ] around any errors. Do not correct them yet.

3 Pronunciation: Identify the top 2 issues. Use simple descriptions (e.g., "The 'H' sounds like a breath") instead of technical terms.

4 Natural Correction: Provide a corrected version that is natural but NOT more sophisticated than my original.

5 Colloquial Version: Create a version that is slightly more casual/conversational. It should be less than half a CEFR level higher than my original. List 3 changes and explain them simply.

6 Advanced Version (Level +0.5): Create a version that is roughly half a CEFR level higher than my original. Focus on natural spoken language. List 3 specific changes and explain why they are a better "bridge" to the next level.

7 More Advanced Version (Level +1.0): Create a version of spoken language that is roughly half a CEFR level higher than the previous "Advanced" version (one full level above my original). List 3 changes and explain how they help me reach this higher level.

But if you want to see if there have been any updates, use this link:

Feel free to copy and paste this prompt into a free account with Gemini or experiment with your own variations. All you will need then are some audio files in one of these formats:

• MP3 (The standard format for most phones and voice recorders)

• WAV (High quality, but larger file sizes)1

• AAC / M4A (Common for iPhone "Voice Memos")2

• OGG

• FLAC

If a student records themselves on camera, these formats are supported:

• MP4 (The most common format for smartphones)

• MOV (Standard for Apple devices)

• AVI

• WMV

• WebM

Key Technical Limits

• File Size: Generally, files should be under 20MB for the best performance. If a video is too large, it is often better to convert it to audio (MP3) before uploading.

• Duration: For a detailed analysis, recordings between 1 and 3 minutes are ideal. This gives the AI enough data to find patterns without becoming overwhelmed.

A long prompt to get feedback on your speaking from audio files uploaded to Gemini

Below is the prompt that I have been experimenting with recently for students to use to get feedback on their speaking with when uploading a short audio file to Gemini and here is a 20-minute video showing it at work in three languages: Spanish, Italian and Catalan:

Language Coach Prompt

I am a language learner. I will upload audio files for you to analyse. Your goal is to be a helpful coach.

Core Communication Rules (Apply to EVERYTHING you say):

• Match My Level: You must use vocabulary and sentence structures that match the CEFR level of the audio I upload. If the audio is A2, your explanations and instructions must be A2.
• Language: If the audio is in English, use British English spelling and vocabulary at all times. If the audio is in another language, all responses should be in that language at the level of the recording from the very beginning
• No Jargon: Do not use academic or formal words (e.g., avoid "transitioned", "lexical", or "syntax"). Use simple, natural words a native speaker uses in daily life.
• Scannability: Use bullet points for clarity. Never use tables. Avoid long walls of text.
• Wait for Audio: Do not give any feedback or assessments until I upload a file and you know which language I speak and have heard my level.

The Process: When I upload a file, first ask if I want "Quick Feedback" or the "7-Step Sequence." If I choose the sequence, ask which step I want first. After every step, list the remaining options as briefly as possible.

The 7 numbered Steps:

1. Verbatim Transcript: Provide a transcript of exactly what I said in continuous prose.
2. Error Identification: Rewrite my text exactly as it is, but put brackets [ ] around any errors. Do not correct them yet.
3. Pronunciation: Identify the top 2 issues. Use simple descriptions (e.g., "The 'H' sounds like a breath") instead of technical terms.
4. Natural Correction: Provide a corrected version that is natural but NOT more sophisticated than my original.
5. Colloquial Version: Create a version that is slightly more casual/conversational. It should be less than half a CEFR level higher than my original. List 3 changes and explain them simply.
6. Advanced Version (Level +0.5): Create a version that is roughly half a CEFR level higher than my original. Focus on natural spoken language. List 3 specific changes and explain why they are a better "bridge" to the next level.
7. More Advanced Version (Level +1.0): Create a version of spoken language that is roughly half a CEFR level higher than the previous "Advanced" version (one full level above my original). List 3 changes and explain how they help me reach this higher level.

Feel free to copy and paste this prompt into a free account with Gemini or experiment with your own variations. All you will need then are some audio files in one of these formats:

• MP3 (The standard format for most phones and voice recorders)
• WAV (High quality, but larger file sizes)¹
• AAC / M4A (Common for iPhone "Voice Memos")²
• OGG
• FLAC

If a student records themselves on camera, these formats are supported:

• MP4 (The most common format for smartphones)
• MOV (Standard for Apple devices)
• AVI
• WMV
• WebM

Key Technical Limits

File Size: Generally, files should be under 20MB for the best performance. If a video is too large, it is often better to convert it to audio (MP3) before uploading.

Duration: For a detailed analysis, recordings between 1 and 3 minutes are ideal. This gives the AI enough data to find patterns without becoming overwhelmed.

Can you adapt this to be in Catalan and for the CATALAN language?

One of the wonderful things about Google's AI Studio apps is that anyone you share them with can adapt them very easily.

I asked, "Can you adapt this to be in Catalan and for the CATALAN language?"

In less than a minute it had produced this:
Here's a link to the SpeakSmart AI Català app

I allowed these two

I then uploaded an mp3 file, but SpeakSmart AI also accepts:

opus, oga, flac, ra, webm, weba, wav, ogg, m4a, mp3, mid, amr, aiff, wma, au, aac

SpeakSmart took a minute or two to produce this feedback:

3 anècdotes 28/01/2016

72

General

75

Pronunciació

78

Claredat

65

Ritme

Transcripció

"Una vegada, fa molts anys, vaig anar al teatre... crec que era al Mercat de les Flors. No? Hi havia un teatre... una miqueta... alternatiu. No clàssic, però clàssic com els teatres del centre de Barcelona. I hi havia una obra de Nick Hornby que tractava del futbol, dels 'hooligans'. I a la mitja part de l'obra vam anar, jo i la companya, al bar i Joan Puigcorbé, l'actor... estava allà al bar. I només ell i nosaltres dos al principi, i hem parlat amb ell, que ell estava de públic, no d'actor. Molt agradable. Una altra vegada, la meva dona... anàvem passejant per la costa de Tarragona, a prop de la Punta de la Móra. Vam anar passejant, vorejant el mar, i hi havia un tros molt difícil, un caminet molt estret... unes roques... i ens hem trobat una tanca. I per salvar-nos hem saltat la tanca i ha arribat un... de seguretat... de la Punta de la Móra, que és un càmping privat, no? I ens ha dit: 'Aquí no pots creuar la tanca, home! És que és perillós aquí'. I al final ens han deixat passar. Una vegada també, fa molts anys, en el ferri d'Anglaterra a França, jo i un amic... més de 50 anys... era un ferri de nit. I hem decidit pujar amunt a veure el mar de nit, la lluna i tot això, que és molt bonic. I també l'única persona allà, a part de nosaltres, era un cantant famós que estava allà gaudint de la vista."

✨Punts forts

• ✓Bon ús dels temps verbals en passat (vaig anar, anàvem, hi havia) per construir la narrativa.
• ✓Vocabulari ric i adequat al context (vorejant, tanca, alternatiu, públic).
• ✓Capacitat d'autocorrecció i de donar detalls descriptius per enriquir la història.

💡Consells generals

Tens una bona capacitat narrativa i un vocabulari extens. El teu principal punt de millora és la fluïdesa; intentes buscar la paraula exacta, cosa que provoca pauses freqüents i l'ús de 'ehm'. Intenta estructurar la frase mentalment abans de començar per millorar el ritme. També, vigila la coherència dels temps verbals quan expliques històries (intenta no barrejar el 'vam fer' amb el 'hem fet' si l'acció és llunyana).

Millores específiques

Paraula/Frase	Problema	Suggeriment
la meva dona... anàvem	Concordança de subjecte	La meva dona i jo anàvem / Amb la meva dona anàvem
ens hem trobat / hem saltat	Barreja de temps verbals (Perfet vs Perifràstic en narració)	ens vam trobar / vam saltar (per mantenir la coherència amb 'vam anar')
un de seguretat	Precisió lèxica	un vigilant de seguretat
Joan Puig Corbé	Nom propi (probable confusió)	Juanjo Puigcorbé

© 2024 SpeakSmart AI - Català. Creat amb Google Gemini 3.

   

 

Five examples of feedback provided by LinguaFlow on recordings by learners of Italian, English, Spanish and Catalan

 This was the sequence of steps used to be abe to listen to this feedback:

1. I chose the module 'Tools', and then 'Transcribe Audio' and uploaded a recording in English 2. I copied the transcription and pasted it into 'Text Tutor' and asked, "Correct my errors in English" 3. I copied the text and went back to 'Tools' and chose 'Text to Speech' and pasted in the text. 4. I started Screen Recording on my Android phone. 5. I clicked on the Generate Audio button and waited a bit 6. I listened to the audio which read the corrected version of the text aloud and then read aloud the explanations of the errors

The two apps used are

LinguaFlow IT for Italian and LinguaFlow AI for English

Feedback on a recording in Italian about A Bag-snatcher:

Feedback on a recording in English about Chicago:

Feedback on a recording in English about Mexico:

Feedback on a recording in Spanish about A Bag-Snatcher using the version for learners of English:

Feedback on a recording in Catalan about A Bag-Snatcher using the version for learners of Italian:

One of the problems with LinguaFlow is that it uses Markdown to add bold to its output, but that doesn't produce the desired effect and makes the output more diffisult to read. Here is an example of what it should look like:

Il testo sembra essere in catalano. Procederò con la trascrizione in catalano e poi fornirò una traduzione in italiano, correggendo eventuali errori di pronuncia evidenti se il contesto è chiaro, ma preferendo una trascrizione letterale per il feedback.

Trascrizione (Catalano): Un dia, una dona, amb la mirada als parets en el corredor d'una botiga, portava la bossa a dins de la cistella. Un home passava i aprofitava de l'oportunitat per a robar-le la bossa. Es posa es posa es posa a córrer. La dona, cridant, "Lladre, lladre! Para!" I un senyor gran, assegut en un banc, va veure el lladre. I amb el seu bastó va fer caure l'home a terra. Afortunadament, en aquest moment passava un policia, qui arrestava l'home. El lladre, ah, l'home gran va recuperar la bossa i la va donar a la dona que estava molt agraïda.

Traduzione (Italiano): Un giorno, una donna, con lo sguardo sulle pareti nel corridoio di un negozio, portava la borsa dentro il cestino. Un uomo passava e approfittava dell'opportunità per rubarle la borsa. Si mette a correre. La donna, gridando, "Ladro, ladro! Fermo!" E un signore anziano, seduto su una panchina, vide il ladro. E con il suo bastone fece cadere l'uomo a terra. Fortunatamente, in quel momento passava un poliziotto, che arrestò l'uomo. Il ladro, ah, l'uomo anziano recuperò la borsa e la diede alla donna che era molto grata.

Certamente! Come richiesto, lascerò invariato il testo in italiano e mi concentrerò sulla correzione grammaticale e stilistica del catalano.

Ecco il testo corretto, seguito dalla spiegazione degli errori.

Testo Catalano Corretto

Un dia, una dona, amb la mirada a les parets del passadís d'una botiga, portava la bossa a dins de la cistella. Un home va passar i va aprofitar l'oportunitat per a robar-le la bossa. Es va posar a córrer. La dona va cridar: "Lladre, lladre! Para!" I un senyor gran, assegut a un banc, va veure el lladre. I amb el seu bastó va fer caure l'home a terra. Afortunadament, en aquell moment passava un policia, que va arrestar l'home. L'home gran va recuperar la bossa i la va donar a la dona, que estava molt agraïda.

---

Analisi e Spiegazione degli Errori

Ecco i punti principali dove ho apportato correzioni e perché:

1. Genere dei sostantivi (Les parets)

• Errore: "...als parets..."

• Correzione: "...a les parets..."

• Perché: La parola paret in catalano è femminile (la paret), quindi il plurale è les parets. In italiano "parete" è femminile, ma l'articolo "i" o "gli" (maschile plurale) in contesti simili può confondere. In questo caso, als è la contrazione di a + els (maschile), quindi è sbagliato.

2. Lessico (Passadís vs Corredor)

• Testo originale: "...en el corredor..."

• Suggerimento: "...del passadís..."

• Perché: Sebbene corredor esista, per i corridoi di un edificio o di un negozio, la parola più comune e naturale in catalano è passadís. Inoltre, la preposizione en viene spesso sostituita da a o dalle contrazioni (del/al) quando si specifica il luogo.

3. Falsi amici sintattici (Aprofitar)

• Errore: "...aprofitava de l'oportunitat..."

• Correzione: "...va aprofitar l'oportunitat..."

• Perché: Questo è un errore classico per chi parla italiano!

• In italiano: Approfittare di qualcosa (intransitivo pronominale).

• In catalano: Aprofitar alguna cosa (transitivo diretto). Non si usa mai la preposizione "de" dopo aprofitar in questo contesto.

4. Tempi verbali nella narrazione

• Errore: Uso eccessivo dell'Imperfet (passava, aprofitava, posa).

• Correzione: Uso del Passat Perifràstic (va passar, va aprofitar, es va posar, va cridar).

• Perché: In catalano (come in italiano), l'imperfetto (Imperfet) si usa per descrivere lo sfondo o azioni in corso (es: "la dona portava la bossa"). Tuttavia, per le azioni puntuali che fanno avanzare la storia (rubare, correre, gridare, arrestare), si deve usare il passato. In catalano orale e narrativo standard, si preferisce il Passat Perifràstic (anar + infinito: va passar) al posto del passato remoto semplice.

5. Pronomi relativi e Preposizioni

• Errore: "...un policia, qui arrestava..."

• Correzione: "...un policia, que va arrestar..."

• Perché: Sebbene qui esista, il pronome relativo più comune che funge da soggetto è que. Inoltre, l'arresto è un'azione conclusa, quindi cambiamo il tempo verbale da imperfetto (arrestava) a passato (va arrestar).

• Errore: "...en un banc..." -> Correzione: "a un banc". (Per indicare "seduto su", in catalano si usa generalmente la preposizione a).

6. Dimostrativi (Aquest vs Aquell)

• Errore: "...en aquest moment..."

• Correzione: "...en aquell moment..."

• Perché: Poiché la storia è ambientata nel passato, ci riferiamo a "quel momento" (aquell), non a "questo momento" (aquest, che indica il presente o vicinanza immediata).